Class 10 girl attacked with chainsaw in classroom in Anantapur; the perpetrator was caught within a few hours

Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav inquired about the health condition of another girl who sustained minor injuries in the attack at the Government General Hospital in Anantapur on Saturday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

In a shocking incident, a class tenth girl of Zilla Parishad High School in Raptad was attacked with an electric chainsaw and seriously injured and another girl with a minor leg injury on Saturday. The victim is fighting for his life.

The girl was attacked in the classroom during a math lesson. The accused, later identified as Hemanth, a close relative of the victim, was arrested at Dharmavaram railway station hours after the incident.

According to the police and eyewitnesses, the injured girl, identified as Mudaga Gopika, reached the school as usual from her native village Akkayavaripalem in an autorickshaw. Around 10.30 am, the accused barged into the classroom and indiscriminately assaulted the girl, leaving both the students and the teacher in shock.

Some students ran out of the classroom screaming, even as the accused ran out of the school premises within minutes. Almost 31 students were present in the classroom at the time of the attack.

Teachers and other staff rushed to the classroom but found Gopika in a pool of blood and another girl, Sake Lakshmi, with an injury on her leg. Both were taken to the Government General Hospital in Anantapur.

“I cleared the students’ doubts when the perpetrator barged into the classroom, went after Gopika and attacked her. It all happened within two to three minutes. The attacker left the school before anyone could understand what had happened. He left the chainsaw in the classroom,” said class teacher Rajarajeswari.

Mrs. Rajarajeswari accepted the first term and the second also as a teacher of Telugu, who was called for election duties.

Meanwhile, special teams were formed to track down the accused. The team examined the CCTV footage and nabbed the accused, who allegedly planned to board the train at Dharmavaram railway station but missed the train.

Police suspect that Hemanth might have bought the saw recently as its cover was found in the school premises. It was suspected that Hemanth was conducting a patrol of the school and classroom before the attack.

Investigation revealed that Hemanth, a daily wager at Anantapur’s tomato market, is a close relative of Gopika. A native of Mudigubba, Hemanth’s family moved to Nagalur and then to Dharmavaram about 20 years ago. Hemanth’s sister, Bhavitha, was married to T. Vijaya Kumar of Ayyavaripalli village. Gopika is the daughter of Mr. Vijay Kumar’s sister Parvathi. After the death of his parents, Hemanth moves from one place to another.

The Raptad police are registering cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and charges of attempted murder. The exact reason for the attack is still unknown.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the incident and inquired about the condition of the victim. He directed the police to ensure a speedy and thorough investigation.

Later, Mr. Naidu spoke to the victim’s mother over phone and assured the family of all support from the government. He also asked about the state of health of another student who suffered minor injuries in the attack.

Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh also expressed shock over the incident.

Late in the evening, the victim was taken to a private hospital in Bengaluru for better treatment. Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav, who rushed to Anantapur GGH, said the victim’s parents have been informed about her condition.

A medical team, including an anesthetist and a surgeon, accompanied the victim as she was taken in an advanced ambulance to Bengaluru, the minister said.

Published – 31 Oct 2026 20:23 IST